Slider for slide fasteners



Aprii M, 1950 M. SEGRE 2,503,30fi

SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed March 26, 1945 M/m/v 5mm:

INVENTOR.

Z a BY (5? flan/g2 Patented Apr. 11, 1950' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,503,301 smpaa Foa sum: rasrnmms Maxim Segre, New York," N. Y.

Application March 26. 1945, Serial No. 584,808 8 Claims. (01. 24-20514) This invention generally relates to slide fasteners and more specifically to the construction of the sliders used for such devices.

The primary object of the invention is to eliminate a shortcoming inherent in the conventional slide fasteners, namely the lack of means for automatically closin the same, by providing a slider automatically functioning to close the fastener so as to relieve the user of the necessity of manually operating the slider to closing position and prevent the fastener from being left open, as is often the case with the conventional structures.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a slider of the aforementioned character which is of comparatively simple and inexpensive construction and is adapted for use with slide fasteners comprising the usual stringers, without modification in the construction of these latter.

Another object is to provide means for actuating the slider to fastener closing position that may be entirely incorporated in the slider with out unduly increasing the dimensions of this latter.

Still another object is to provide driving means for the slider conformed for positive engagement with the heads of a row of scoops and adapted to insure proper smooth operation of the device.

It is also within the scope of the invention to provide novel means for locking the slider to the fastener in the open position of this latter.

These and other related objects will become apparent in the following description of the invention illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a slide fastener embodying a slider according to the invention automatically movable to fastener closing position.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the structure of Fig; 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the slider, shown isolated and with the cover thereof removed to illustrate the actuating spring means incorporated in the upper member thereof.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the structure of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the slider, on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the lower section of the slider, illustrating the means associated with the heads of scoops for propelling the slider to fastener closin position.

2 Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the lower section of the slider, shown isolated.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, numeral ll generally indicates a slider according to the invention, which' comprises a lower member or section l2, an upper member or section l4, and a cover It mounted on the section H, the whole being constructed and assembled as hereinafter. described.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the device is adapted for association with a length of slide fastener of standard construction comprising the usual stringers consisting of tapes I 8. l9 and fastener elements or scoops 20, 21 having interlockable heads, and is eflective to open and close the fastener in its movement therealong similarly to any conventional slider.

Thelower section I2 is preferably made in one piece, and comprises an elongated base 22 formed with a longitudinally extending raised element 24 having a wedge-shaped end portion 25 adapted to separate the interlocked scoops in the opening movement of the slider. The element 24 is also provided intermediate its ends with a substantiab 1y semi-circular recess 26, and with integral spaced upwardly projecting studs 21, 28, for the purpose that will hereafter become apparent.

The base 22 is provided with ribs or shoulders 29, 80, which extend along the longitudinal edges of the base initially in parallel relation to one another and then in diverging relation and parallel to the sides of the wedge-shaped portion 25 of the element 24, as shown in Fig. 7.

The upper section l4 comprises an elongated base 32, identical in contour to the base 22, which carries an integral upwardly extending cylindrical casing 34, open at its upper end. The section l4 also has openings 25, 36 in the base 32.

The two sections are assembled to form the slider, with the base 32 of the section I4 in surface abutting engagement with the element 24 of the section l2, by i'rictionally entering the studs 21, 28 into the aforementioned openings 35, 36.

The base 32 of the upper section has downwardly projecting marginal ribs or shoulders 38, 39 disposed in alinement with the ribs 29, 30. In the assembled condition of the sections, the pairs of ribs 29, 30 and 88, 39 are vertically spaced from each other by an amount suflicient to accommodate the tapes I8, I! and permit movement of the slider relative thereto, the scoops being received within channels defined by the opposed faces of the bases 22, 22, the pairs of ribs, and the element 24. As will be apparent, the arrangement is such that, in the movement 01' 3 the slider, the scoops of'the two rows will be p ogressively acted upon and guided to become pro ressively interlocked or separated according to the direction of movement of the slider.

The forward end of the base 32 carries an upwardly projecting lug 40 wherein there is pivotally mounted one end of a slider locking member ll; the opposite free end of said member forms a projection adapted to extend through an opening 42 in the base 32 and into engagement with the underlying scoops of the fastener, thereby preventing movement of the slider relative to thislatter.

Suitable means are provided for rotating the member 4i between a normal or inoperative position shown in Fig. 1 or 6 and a slider locking position shown in Fig. 2, such as a pull chain 43 which also serves to move the slider along the fastener to open the same. Actuation of the member ll to and from the locking position requires a voluntary lateral pull effective to cause rotation of the member, and therefore objectionable uncontrolled movement of the locking member is prevented.

The aforementioned cover II is adapted to be frictionally mounted on the cylindrical casing 34 to close the same, and may be arranged to contact the rear surface of the locking member ll so as to frictionally restrain movement of this latter and thereby further minimize the possibility of accidental locking or unlocking of the slider.

Mounted for rotation between the assembled sections l2 and ll of the slider, in the recess 2| of the element 24 and substantially in the plane of the scoops, is a gear 44 which projects from the open side of the recess and has teeth suitably shaped for positive engagement with the free heads of the scoops 2i carried by the tape it (see Fig. 7) so as to cause rotation of the gear concurrently with the translatory movement of the slider relative to the fastener stringers. Accidental contact of the gear teeth with the row of scoops 20 is prevented by the side wall of the member 2|.

The shaft 45 of the gear M is pivoted at 4 in a suitable recess of the base 22 of the lower section I2, and extends through an opening 48 of the base 32 of the upper section into the casing 84 of this latter. The shaft is slotted, as at 40, to receive the inner end of a spiral spring 50, the outer end whereof is secured to the casing 34 as at II, which supplies the motive power for actuating the slider to close the fastener.

Since the slider is intended to automatically close the fastener, and assuming that the fastener is closed when the slider is at the right in the position shown in Fig. 7, the spring Slwill be arranged for winding during the leftward or opening stroke of the slider and the resulting counterclockwise rotation of the gear and shaft 45 thereof. Therefore, at the end of the opening movement of the slider the spring will be effective to rotate the gear in a clockwise direction, and consequently to cause the gear to travel along the free heads of the scoops with which it meshes to propel the slider back to fastener closing position.

It is apparent that in closing movement of the slider the scoops 2| will be properly guided by the end portion 25 of the element 24 and by the ribs 80, ll of the slider sections so as to insure engagement of the scoop heads by the gear teeth and maintain the gear in constant mesh with the row of scoops irrespective of the longitudinal position of the slider relative to the fastener. The positive engagement of suitably profiled surfaces of the gear teeth with complemental surfaces of the scoop heads clearly insures smooth operation of the device.

While I have described the invention substantially with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be made in the specific structures described and illustrated in the drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a slide fastener comprising stringers embodying interlockable fastener elements having interlockable heads, a slider movable to interlock and separate the fastener elements to close and open the fastener, a horizontal gear rotatably mounted in said sliderin a position to be in contatably mounted in said lower section of the slider and maintained in constant mesh with the heads otfastener elements of one of the stringers,

' said gear having a shaft extending into the upper section of the slider, and spring means mounted in the upper section and associated with said gear shaft for actuating the gear along the heads of the fastener elements in a direction to propel the slider to fastener closing position.

3. In a slide fastener comprising stringers embodying rows of fastener elements having interlockable heads, a slider movable along the fastener to open and close the same, said slider comprising an upper section and a lower section, a horizontal gear rotatably mounted in said lower section of the slider between the strongers and meshing with the heads of fastener elements of one of the stringers, said gear having a shaft extending into said upper section of the slider, and spring means mounted in the upper section associated with said gear for actuating'the gear along the heads of the fastener elements in a direction to propel the slider to fastener closing Position.

4. In a slide fastener comprising stringers embodying rows of fastener elements having interlockable heads, a slider movable alon the fastener to open and close the same, said slider comprising an upper section and a lower section, a gear rotatably mounted in said lower section of the slider between the stringers and meshing with the heads of fastener elements of one of the stringers only, said gear having a shaft extending into the said upper section of the slider, spring means mounted in the upper section associated with the gear shaft for actuating the gear along the heads of the fastener elements in a direction to propel the slider to fastener closing position, and means carried by the upper section movable into engagement with the fastener elements to lock the slider to the fastener.

5. In a slide fastener comprising stringers embodying rows of fastener elements having interlockable heads, a slider movable along the fastener to open and close the same, said slider comprising an upper section and a lower section, a

ear rotatably mounted in said lower section of the slider between the stringers and meshing with the heads of fastener elements of one of the stringers, said gear having a shaft extending into said upper section, sprin means mounted in the upper section and associated with said gear shaft for actuating the gear along the heads of the fastener elements in 'a direction to propel the slider to fastener closing position, an opening in the upper section, a member pivotally mounted on the upper section and having a free end movable from a normal inoperative position to a position wherein it projects through said opening into engagement with fastener elements to lock the slider to the fastener, the movement of said free end of the member to slider locking position being effected in response to a voluntary lateral pull exerted on the member.

6. In a slide fastener comprising stringers embodying rows of fastener elements having interlockable heads, a slider movable along the fastener to open and close the same, said slider having a single channel from which a pair of channels diverge, said stringers being disengaged when passing through the divergent channels and interlocked when passing through the single channel, a member rotatably mounted in said slider so as to mesh with the heads of fastener elements of one of the stringers in one of the diverging channels, and spring means incorporated in the slider and associated with the rotatable member being arranged to actuate this latter along the heads of said fastener elements in a direction to propel the slider to fastener closing position, said rotatable member being located between the divergent portions of the stringers.

7. A combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein the rotatable member is horizontal.

8. A combination as set forth in claim '1 where in the rotatable member meshes with the heads of fastener elements on a single one of the stringers.

MAXIM SEGRE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

4 UNITED STATES PATENTS 

